ZTE debuts IMS application to smartphone users (Europe, America)
ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, announces its latest IMS application for smartphone users in Europe and America at the IMS World Forum 2012 held in Madrid. The application enables quick and efficient access to mobile VoIP.
Based on ZTE’s successful IMS deployments in Europe with a dramatic increase of 100,000 new users per month on average, ZTE developed this innovative IMS application. It allows operators to offer a converged service combining internet applications and traditional telecom services, enabling them to expand their subscriber scale and increase revenues.
With this intelligent application, subscribers can download and install an IMS client onto a smartphone and use Mobile VoIP and other multimedia services immediately whilst still receiving incoming calls and SMS with their 2G/3G mobile numbers.
Focusing on user experience, ZTE’s solution not only supports VoIP and SMS, but also provides more abundant services, including IP Centrex, VMS, VPABX, Home Zone, Video Conference, Instance Messaging and Presence Services (IM/PS), File Transfer, and Image Sharing.
Xu Ziyang, Vice President of ZTE Corporation, said that to identify immense pressure on operators from the industry competition; ZTE is committed to offering differentiated services that will build up their competitive advantages. This IMS application realizes the combination of abundant services with easy use offering improved access to both phone calls regardless of location and the significant savings on the expense of making international and otherwise expensive calls.
As of the end of 2011, ZTE had more than 140 commercial and trial IMS deployments officially launched around the globe , with scores of commercial networks deployed in such countries as Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Albania, Saudi Arabia, Philippine, Singapore, India, the USA and China.
Umniah begins preperation for 3G launch (Jordan)
Umniah, the leading telecom operator in Jordan and a subsidiary of Bahrain’s Batelco Group, has announced that it was gearing up for the rollout of 3G services across the kingdom in the coming months, according to a report by TradeArabia.
As per ther report, Umniah said preparations were underway for the completion of the newest 3G network in the Kingdom. The company confirmed that it is in the process of finalizing the network in order to meet the growing demands for high-speed Internet in the Jordanian market.
The operator announced that it had signed key agreements with Huawei and ZTE to assist in the technical requirements related to the building of the 3G network for Umniah’s corporate and individual subscribers.
Umniah CEO Ihab Hinnawi said that they are expecting to launch their 3G services in the coming few months. Further, the market has shown a number of indications that signify its readiness for 3G services as they have seen an increased demand for broadband Internet services, an increase in smartphone penetration rates, an improvement in purchasing power as well as a rise in content and applications that are suited to our community and lifestyle.
Hinnawi said Umniah had invested $70.4 million in January for a 3G licence and dedicated additional amounts towards infrastructure and network expenses.
As per the report, the telecom group had also acquired 2.1 GHz of spectrum from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), preparing it to move forward with the rollout of the advanced 3.75G services to its growing customer base, he stated.
Umniah currently serves more than 2.3 million customers in the Kingdom, giving it a 31 per cent market share, he added.
Airtel inks deal with ZTE to manage first 4G network (India)
In continuing with its plans of being the first Indian operator to launch 4G/LTE services, telecom operator Bharti Airtel has reportedly entered into a partnership with ZTE to manage its fourth generation (4G) technology based network in Kolkata. As per reports, the operator is targeting next month for the official launch.
As per a statement by the company, Bharti Airtel has selected ZTE Corporation to plan, design, supply and deploy its 4G network in Kolkata, which will allow its subscribers to experience high-speed wireless internet access.
Sanjay Kapoor, Bharti Airtel CEO (India and South Asia), said that acccording to industry estimates, by 2016, six percent of all mobile connections will have 4G connection, which would create 36 percent of the total mobile data traffic, thus paving way for the ensuing data revolution. Further, The impending launch of 4G in the country will provide ultra high speed data access, driving fundamental changes in society at large.
As reported earlier, Airtel had awarded the contract for managing its 4G network in Maharashtra to Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN).
RCom shortlists vendors to outsource network management (India)
Indian telecom operator, RCom (Reliance Communications), may be planning to outsource its network management for which it has identified certain vendors. According to reports, the operator is considering vendors such as Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei Technologies and ZTE, for the deal which may be worth US$ 3 billion, for a period of five years.
Sources claim that the deal would consist of outsourcing end-to-end management services and will include all services with the exception of consumer and IT services. The agreement, expected to be finalized in the coming months, is considered to be largest outsourcing contract by a telecom operator.
Currently, RCom has a 50:50 joint venture with Alcatel-Lucent, for managing its networks. However, sources claim that the operator now wants to tie up with a single vendor for outsourcing all network management services, and Alcatel-Lucent is one of the shortlisted vendors.
Rival telecom operators, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have also outsourced their network management, but have tied up with multiple vendors.
Company officials are yet to issue a statement regarding the same.
ZTE rolls out Light Tab in Indonesia
ZTE has launched its tablet PC on the Indonesian market.
The Light Tab launch follows the launch in Europe, Japan, and Malaysia. The device is offered for US$336.4
ZTE to provide LTE Networks in Sweden and Denmark
ZTE has stated that it has won a contract to deploy the world’s first LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode networks in Sweden and Denmark on behalf of 3G network operator, Hi3G. As part of the deal, ZTE will also deliver 3G infrastructure equipment to upgrade the operator’s 3G network.
Hi3G Access is a 60:40 joint venture between Hong Kong’s Hutchison-Whampoa and Sweden’s Investor AB.
According to Peder Ramel, CEO at Hi3G, they have chosen ZTE for additional 3G 900/2100 rollout and for LTE mobile broadband networks in Sweden and Denmark because of the possibility to house three different mobile standards in the same physical infrastructure and the low cost of ownership. Furthermore, ZTE advanced LTE dual-mode solutions and quick consignment responses really meet our requirements.
Hi3G will exploit its spectrum resources by rolling out two versions of LTE. The two versions are usually referred to as Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD). The main benefit of the TDD version is that it can make full use of TDD spectrums to maximize data throughout and enhance user experience. Hi3G has acquired 50MHz of TDD spectrum in Sweden and 25 MHz of TDD spectrum in Denmark.
The TDD version of LTE is also used in other parts of the world, for example China. The use of TDD LTE by China will facilitate the world-wide availability of TDD LTE terminals.
ZTE sold 2 mn phones in 2010 (France)
ZTE reportedly sold 2 million handsets in France 2010, doubling its year-earlier volume, and is expected to sell 3 million units this year.
The company currently has a slightly over 5% share of the French mobile phone market. It sells the Link and Blade smartphones and 3G dongles through mobile operator Bouygues Telecom, while the two bigger mobile networks, Orange France and SFR, put their own brands on ZTE-manufactured devices.
ZTE is also going to launch new smartphones in May and a light 3G tablet after the summer. Orange is also testing a new customer box from ZTE. The Chinese company would like to develop its network equipment business in Europe, where its rival Huawei has succeeded in gaining a foothold.
ZTE, which does provide network equipment to France Telecom, but only for overseas territories, has two research centres in Europe. One in Paris works on value added services and one in Stockholm focuses on radio access technologies. ZTE has signed 15 LTE contracts around the world and its regional director for Western Europe, Lin Cheng, anticipates the China’s TDD technology will spread in Europe for LTE, notably because it can support more mobile traffic than FDD at the same cost.
GO Telecom implements Metro fiber network in cooperation with ZTE Corporation
Etihad Atheeb Telecom Co.”GO” signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ZTE Corporation on Monday, March 21 to deploy fiber-optic network within the cities (Metro Fiber Ring). The first phase of this network implementation project will start in Riyadh city and will serve the government sectors and business (FTTB) and homes (FTTH).
Eng. Zaid Al Shabanat, Chief Executive of GO Telecom stated “We are pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding, which represents a new step towards building the most advanced telecommunications network in the Kingdom. The new fiber-optics network integrates with the Fourth Generation (4G) wireless communications technology, WiMAX 802.16e, to provide GO Telecom products & services that meet the needs of government, business and home sectors, both for Broadband Internet service and Voice services, and opens up more opportunities to provide other Value-Added Services. The second phase of the project will continue in each of the cities of Jeddah and Dammam. Building a new fiber optics network will reinforce the infrastructure of the company and its competitive standing in the Saudi market and will establish a long-term partnership with ZTE Corporation. It should be noted that the founding partners of Etihad Atheeb Telecom Co. “GO” have committed to 65% share upon the raise of company capital.”
Oi to begin LTE tests in Brazil
Oi, Brazilian mobile network has reported four companies that will participate in its LTE trials in the country – Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, ZTE and Nokia Siemens Networks.
According to reports, there is a market expectation that the first LTE networks will come into operation before the 2014 World Cup.
Oi will be conducting the trials both in laboratory conditions and in live networks in several – still to be determined – cities. The exact deployment for each of the infrastructure suppliers is still being finalized.
The regulator is expected to grant a temporary license covering the 2.5 GHz bands for the tests.
Telkom Kenya selects ZTE for 3G launch
Telkom Kenya, controlled by France Telecom’s Orange has stated that it has selected China’s ZTE Corp to launch its 3G network countrywide.
According to Telekom’s Chief Executive Mickael Ghossein, the company will invest US$46.56 million in the network to improve its market standing, and the service is expected to be up and running at the end of the first half of 2011. They expect the roll out to be complete by latest May, and the launch should be in June this year.
The company has 1,500 sites on 3G across East Africa’s biggest economy and stated its customers would enjoy speeds that could enable them download a song from the Internet in less than a minute.
Telkom aims to double its subscribers to about 4.6 million by year-end, in line with its overall goal to become the country’s No. 2 player by 2015 after market leader Safaricom.
The company acquired the 3G licence, the country’s third, for $10 million in November last year, after the country’s telecoms regulator reduced the price from $25 million.
